The Mars Science Laboratory was moved from NASA Kennedy Space Center's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) to Space Launch Complex 41 during the early morning of Nov. 3 and hoisted atop the Atlas V rocket.

The Mars Science Laboratory was hoisted atop the payload transporter in the PHSF on Nov. 2 after being integrated into the Atlas V rocket payload fairing.

Curiosity has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about whether Mars has had environments favorable for microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release the gasses so that its spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth.